


Deathly Flowers

by inkystake



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 13:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14449962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkystake/pseuds/inkystake
Summary: Haruno Sakura has lost her father and her mother is hospitalised in critical condition. Fortunately, one of her relatives arrives. Her cousin who had eyes as green as hers and hair as black as death.In the aftermath of the invasion, a reaper comes to Konoha.





	Deathly Flowers

Konoha was grieving. In the aftermath of invasion and betrayal, when the people had no time to break down and weep, the village grieved for them. Haruno Sakura stacked a pile of broken brick onto worn canvas and hefted it onto a shoulder. The normal her would have complained about the grunt-work and the sweat, the sun, the fact that she hadn’t changed out of her dust-laden clothes, but Kakashi had handed them over to Kurenai Yuuhi and her team, Sasuke was in the hospital, and Naruto was despondently tugging on a piece of wooden beam near her.

She caught those dimmed blue eyes for a moment, a single moment of understood grief, before they grimly lugged their respective burdens to the proper piles. She was aware that her eyes sought out blonde hair and blue eyes a couple of times every hour, just as he kept her in range of sight always as they worked. It was illogical but she couldn’t help feeling uneasy; the sight of her lone team-mate, even if he didn’t have that stupid grin and wasn’t goofing around at the moment, made her feel the dark ball of bad inside her ease just a bit.

It had been two weeks since the funeral of the Sandaime Hokage and she learned that her father died leading a group of civilians to the safe houses, two days where she threw herself into the rush of rebuilding and clearing out of debris after the attack. Sakura shuddered. The so-called ‘debris’ had included corpses of enemy and ally, ninja and civilian. It was a horror story she never wanted to watch, much less relive again.

She was thankfully jolted out of the memories by Naruto skidding around the corner, looking around frantically. She didn’t have the energy to hit him, but habit kicked in, if a trifle less energetic than usual.

“What are you doing? Stop playing around!”

Blue eyes locked on her and suddenly filled with relief. “Eheh...I...uh...I thought...”

Her eyes filled with tears. She could not say that she felt the same relief he did. He was alive, she was alive, but Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei were unconscious in the hospital and the prognosis was bad. She looked away from Naruto and the urge to hug him for comfort. They were all the other had left.

“Sakura-chan?”

She shook her head. She was not about to cry.

A soft voice sounded. “It appears that I’ve come at a rather bad time.”

She whirled. Naruto leaped to her side, kunai out.

“Haya-nii?”

Green eyes of a shade similar to her own looked down at her. The warmth in those eyes, the strength in them, washed over her. She launched herself at the man, tears finally falling, a sob ripping out of her throat. His voice rumbled through his chest, but she didn’t hear the words as she pressed herself further into his arms.

Another trembling body joined them, but she couldn’t care. She could barely feel Naruto’s tears on her arm. All she cared about was she still had family and they were there with her.

The shinobi and civilians near them looked round at her sobs but were silent other than sympathetic glances. Kurenai Yuuhi stepped noiselessly toward them. The dark-haired man seemed to know Team 7, but he was not familiar to her and she was a shinobi in the aftermath of an attempted invasion.

“Excuse me.” The dark head looked up and Kurenai stared into intense eyes the same color as the Haruno girl's. A relative? That could make things easier. “If you could produce identification, you can take them home for the day.” It was nearing twilight anyway.

The man nodded, smiling gratefully. He reached into his bag awkwardly, as he was still holding two genin closely. He took out a folder and handed them to her.

The five-year visa that caught her eyes immediately upon opening the folder was interesting. It was rarely handed out since the village couldn’t track entries and exits as easily. Even the travelling merchant caravans that did business in Konoha were only issued entry papers valid for one year at most.

She quickly checked the Hokage’s seal before paging to the list of known relatives. It was sparse and had no family tree. Kizashi Haruno, she was right. Again, she was surprised that there was a separate residence listed when he wasn’t a citizen. It was in one of the better areas of Konoha, though remote. The other information was standard and had no unusual disclosures.

“Kuroi Hayaki-san, do you mind if I escort you there? I am Yuuhi Kurenai, jounin-sensei. Both Haruno-san and Uzumaki-san are in my charge for the day.”

“Thank you.” He pulled a little away from his cousin. “Sakura, want to go home?”

The girl unexpectedly shook her head. “Papa’s dead and Mama hasn’t woken up at the hospital yet,” she whispered.

“My place then,” he said easily, after a pause. At the news, Kurenai saw his eyes darken and his lips thin for a moment before he was smiling at his cousin’s nod. He motioned for her to climb on his back, then grabbed Naruto’s hand before straightening. He wasn’t as tall as she first thought, only a few inches taller than she was.

She gestured at Shino, who was the only one near enough to see, that they were to go home as well. The insect-user inclined his head slightly and trotted off to inform his team, with a pack of broken rubble slung across his shoulders. She looked back to see Naruto staring at Hayaki’s hand holding his in bewilderment. He glanced at her fleetingly, before staring at it again.

Hayaki smiled at him and the blond grinned uncertainly. Kurenai smiled at them both as the young orange-clad genin started to chatter.

“Hey, are you really Sakura-chan’s older brother? How come I’ve never seen you before? Are you a ninja too?”

The dark-haired man blinked at the speed the words shot out of Naruto’s mouth but answered patiently. “I’m Sakura’s cousin. I don’t live in Konoha and I’m not a ninja. I’m guessing you’re her classmate?”

“Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo! I’m her teammate!”

“Ninja are initially put in teams of three led by a jounin,” Kurenai put in. “Their other teammate is in the hospital as is their team leader.”

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. “But we’ll be together again soon! Kakashi-sensei said.”

“I'm sure your sensei is right.”

“Yeah!”

Kurenai followed them silently, listening to the calm tones of the man, the sniffles of his strawberry-haired cousin, the subdued yet loud voice of their yellow-haired friend.

“Ah! My place is this way.”

“Oh. Hurry home alright? Your parents must be worried.”

“I don't have any!” Naruto said, a trifle more cheerfully than warranted.

The man blinked. “No?”

Naruto's demeanor was suddenly more muted. “Jiji said they died.”

“So you live with your grandfather?”

“Ah...no.”

“No?”

“Children without caretakers are given the choice of living alone when they decide to become ninja.” She didn't want to mention that Naruto's 'Jiji' was also recently deceased, the yellow-haired prankster was already so despondent.

The man understood. Kurenai was a sufficiently accomplished shinobi that civilians hiding their intent were an open book. She could see the younger man sadden, with a hint of resignation. It was not unknown in this world of war-like people to lose family at a young age. “Then is it alright if you spend the night at our place as well? I'm sure Sakura would like her friends close.”

The red-eyed kunoichi wondered, as the young Uzumaki stammered and blushed through his quasi-reluctant discomfort, if the man knew. His Konoha registration papers were not that old. He probably didn't. She was not the one to tell him either. The blond glanced at her again. She nodded encouragingly. He grinned, quickly turned to Hayaki and shyly assented to the invitation.

“You better not snore too loud, Naruto. Nii-san's walls aren't that thick.”

“What? I don't snore! You're the snorer!”

“Naruto!”

“Well, I had the house remodeled a bit since I was last here so it may look a little different, Sakura.”

“Really? Toka-san didn't say anything.”

“It was a surprise.”

“Can I have Toka-san's chocolate drink?”

“Definitely.”

* * *

They wended their way past the town proper and into a more forested part of Konoha. Silent, Kurenai mused. The village was more silent than she'd ever known since the war. A frission of dread had her frowning, hoping this was not the start to yet another shinobi war.

Hayaki turned to Kurenai, ending her thoughts. “This is us.”

She stared at the large red gates that indicated a division between the ordinary and a place nearer to divinity. It was a shrine. “I see. I didn't think anyone lived here.” All shrines to the great Inari had been abandoned or destroyed after the Fox Incident.

“I think the renovations went well enough. I heard Konoha didn't like foxes though, so the statues and paintings are stored elsewhere. The place was cheap.”

Naruto's face was a little pale but he spoke gamely. “Are you a priest, er Hayaki-nii-san?”

“I learned some techniques but not enough to be a full priest, I think.”

“Hayaki-sama!”

A small middle-aged man caught sight of them from the road. Kuroi smiled. “Toka. I've brought some friends with me.”

The man, Toka, grinned widely. “I am so happy you are finally here! It has been some years.”

Sakura waved at him from Hayaki's shoulders. “Sakura-sama! And young blond friend!” The small man bowed. Then he caught sight of Kurenai, and a sly smile briefly touched his lips. “Oh! Hayaki-sama's wife?”

Hayaki stumbled on the path, blushed at her glance and turned to what looked like his retainer. “No. She's Sakura's teacher!”

Toka wilted a bit, with a sigh. Then he brightened. “It's been a long time since I made food for more than one. I'll go prepare snacks. A lot!”

Hayaki turned to Kurenai. “Toka likes to have people at the shrine. Would you like to come in, Yuuhi-san?”

“If you don't mind. Thank you.”

Well enough? Kurenai would have thought the shrine buildings beyond repair from the anger of the citizenry all those years ago. The renovations went exceedingly well, if the shining stone path and pristine gardens she passed were indicative. The shrine was fully open though she doubted that it had seen many visitors, she could see that the building was at least tended. The building Kuroi Hayaki was leading them to was a one-story traditional house. It wasn't very big but it was as well-preserved as the rest of the place.

“Oh? That's new.”

“What? What?” Naruto had been busy looking around and looked up at Hayaki's musing comment.

Sakura peered around from her cousin's shoulder. “Oh. The other building is gone.” Fruit trees grew in neat rows beyond the inner courtyard. “So that's where the jam came from. Toka-san gave some to Mama every few months since last year.”

“So that's what he was planning.” Hayaki smiled. Toka always had some good ideas. “It's beautiful.”

“Maybe you should raise his pay, Haya-nii.”

“No, no!” They all turned to the small man, who was shaking his head rapidly. “I get more than enough pay, Sakura-sama! If Sakura-sama is wanting to thank me, then she should eat everything on her plate tonight!”

“Bu-but –!” Sakura caught sight of Toka's wide brown eyes. “Fine.”

Toka bowed happily and opened the sliding door wide. They all stared. “Wow.” Kurenai glanced at Hayaki, who had made the observation. He was blinking at the heaping table filled with a feast. “Guess you knew I was coming.”

“I always know when Master is coming.”

Hayaki looked at the man carefully and nodded. Toka had learned early on never to call him master but there were instances where it could not be helped. It told Hayaki that there was urgent business. Then again, with the amount of death that hung over Konoha, he had already expected it.

“Thanks, Toka. Sakura, why don't you and Naruto go clean up. This way, Yuuhi-san.”

Kurenai followed Kuroi-san to a door. “Here you go. There's a private furo behind the door and clean clothes in the closet. Dinner in thirty minutes?”

“Thank you.”

He smiled at her. “It's the least I can do for one of my cousin's teachers. You are, after all, teaching her how to stay alive.”

Hayaki nodded and left, leaving Kurenai to muse on the subtle compliment and threat that laced his last words. She slid closed the door to what she assumed was the guest bedrooms. There was more to Kuroi Hayaki than met the eye – she already knew that. He moved like he was trained, graceful like a dancer, but she saw none of the usual marks that screamed 'shinobi'. Perhaps a touch of sword-handling, but not mastery – his hands showed none of the inevitable callus that told of hours and hours of weapons training and taijutsu a day. Maybe he was of a samurai family? That would explain the five-year visa. Many samurai clans in Fire Country were descendants of nobility – it would also explain how the man had the clout and wealth to purchase property in Konoha, if somewhat remote from the center of the village. The former Inari shrinelands bordered part of the Nara forest and the Akimichi hunting preserve.

* * *

 

“Kurenai-sensei?”

Kurenai looked up as she exited the room. “Sakura.”

The girl smiled uncertainly and Kurenai returned it softly. The strawberry-haired teen's smile brightened for a moment and the girl quickly stepped up to her. They walked to the dining room.

Kurenai studied the silent girl. She had known that Haruno Kizashi had died, but not that his wife was in the hospital or that his daughter had probably spent the last few weeks alone in their house. “Sakura,” she started. “I'm sorry I didn't ask sooner but...was there someone to take care of you at home?”

“Oh.” The girl's eyes widened and she quickly said. “Oh no, Kurenai-sensei, you don't have to be sorry! I...I had someone...I mostly slept over at Naruto's anyway.”

“Naruto?” She was not aware the two were close friends. In fact, the grapevine said they were reluctant acquaintances on the part of the Haruno.

“Yeah,” the girl huffed, but it was a half-hearted attempt at derision. There might even be some fondness there, thought Kurenai. “Someone should really do something about his ramen addiction. He had ramen for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Can you believe he actually sewed custom pockets in his jacket for ramen cups?!” Sakura reddened when she heard the jounin laugh. “So...yeah, you don't have to apologise...”

“I knew that Kakashi was in the hospital and that you were assigned to me for the time being. I should have checked.”

Sakura was subdued but her words were firm. “It's really alright. My parents had contingencies. And I wasn't alone.”

Kurenai left it at that, lest she offend the young girl. Most inhabitants of Konoha had plans in place for situations where they left family members unexpectedly, it was a ninja village after all. But no one had been expecting invasion from the direction of their allies. She was glad Sakura and Naruto had helped each other. With the Sandaime dead, the ANBU that periodically checked on the boy had been allocated to more urgent tasks. She should have thought of that earlier as well, she berated herself, and followed up on Naruto's home life. She sighed, feeling like she had failed them, even if as their temporary jounin-sensei.

“We're ninja, sensei,” continued Sakura. But Kurenai felt it was more like the girl was talking to herself. “We're already adults. Naruto has been taking care of himself for years. If I couldn't do the same, then I should quit being shinobi already. And that's something I won't do.”

From Kakashi and Asuma's stories, this was the civilian fangirl that got lumped into a 'monster' team only because she had the highest paper test scores. She had been expected to drop out after her first Chunin exam and seeing the cruelty that was the ninja world. That her travails and the invasion only made her more determined spoke well of her. Time will tell, of course, but it was a good beginning. Kurenai smiled gently at the resolve in the girl's eyes, and hoped that the young girl could keep it throughout her career. “That is a good resolution, Sakura.”

* * *

 

After dinner was over and Kurenai had left, Sakura wandered to the garden that she remembered from the years that Hayaki was her parents' chosen babysitter. It was just after the Uchiha incident and her father was kept busy as a chunin while her mother fought to keep the family business from closing down due to not having the Uchiha backers anymore. The thought of her parents made her fingers clench painfully. Her mother was fighting once more, now for her life.

Naruto sat down beside her, face more somber than she had ever seen. It was wrong, she realised, not to see a smile stretching those whiskered cheeks. She was too tired to attempt to smile and it would come out like those forced, teeth-baring smiles that Naruto used sometimes, so she nudged his shoulder with hers. He brightened a little.

They sat silent until Hayaki brought a pot of steaming tea out to the garden balcony with them. Hayaki was never a talkative person, so they all sat quietly in the moonlight, sipping tea. The silence and the company slightly loosened the tight knot of dark things that had lodged itself in Sakura's chest. The quiet revelation she'd had earlier with Kurenai-sensei had strengthened her.

“Haya-nii,” she started, knowing that when her mother had written him of her enrollment in the Academy, he had protested against her becoming a ninja. She knew her mother had sent him family news, even if Sakura didn't. He likely knew she was a poor shinobi. “I won't continue to be the ninja that I was before.”

Naruto's cup clattered. Hayaki put down his cup and turned a surprised but assessing gaze on her. She fought not to fidget. Hayaki was years younger than her parents, but there were some times he seemed so much older. She met the eyes that were coloured so much like her own. She would be a better shinobi. She would.

“Alright,” Hayaki said at last. “I'll accept it.”

She nearly wilted in relief. She knew that if Hayaki had said no, she would have a hell of a time convincing him and her mother to not let her drop out of the program. “Thank you, Haya-nii.” It was his way of telling her that she had an actual say in her own life. She was shinobi, and even if he didn't like it, he respected her choices. She glomped him suddenly. “Thank you,” she whispered again, against the front of his haori.

“You're welcome,” he cradled her gently.

“Y-you're going to leave, Sakura-chan?” Naruto found his voice at last. Then his lips stretched in a too-wide smile. “Heh, heh, then don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'll be sure to take all your missions -”

“Naruto,” she cut off, exasperated. “I just said I wasn't leaving. Listen to what others are saying underneath, idiot!”

“You're not?” She pretended not to notice the relieved laugh. “Right, right, heh, of course not! Who will help me prank the bastard if you did?”

“I'm not pranking Sasuke-kun and you're not either!”

“Eh?! But -”

“That's final!”

* * *

 Kuroi Hayaki breathed in the night air within the large, empty shrine hall. It had been stripped long ago and the alcoves held no figurines, no statues. It was just a bare room. It was not the public shrine proper set for the use of the people and the priest though it paralleled the breadth of it. The only thing of interest in this particular space was the runework that extended from the center of the room and circled the spot where Hayaki stood with his eyes shut.

Toka peeked in and quietly told him the children were asleep then slid closed the thick wooden door. As soon as the frame clacked gently against the sturdy wall, the room was plunged into a blackness that was more than the night could cause. Then an illumination suffused the space, something that was not light, half darkness. Hayaki, from his vantage, could see clearly to every corner of the room; it was like the space itself simply decided to embody both 'darkness' and 'clarity/visibility'.

“Let's get to work then,” Hayaki muttered. He started to chant. The runes around him began to move in slow, deep, gentle dances across the stone flooring. They swayed and touched and stepped inexorably in motions that, if someone looked close enough and hard enough, would have caused a watcher to scream at the agony of it, the beauty of it, the finality of it until the soul was lost in the pattern. In the center of it, the master of the Deathly Hallows stood firm while Death twisted around him, while he sung the rhythm of one who walked with the Reaper.

* * *

 

“He threatened you?” Asuma raised a brow.

“Not exactly. But I get the feeling he doesn't like ninja much.”

“Most civilians don't.” Laced his fingers together behind his head, walking beside her. “Is he going to pull Haruno out of the program?”

“He didn't give off that vibe.”

“Oh? You know him that well already? I think I'm jealous.”

“Oh? Why? Is there anything for you to be jealous about?” Kurenai's smile grew a tad more pointed as she spoke.

Asuma laughed nervously, but he put a warm arm around her shoulders. “Let's go on a date soon.”

“Really?” She blushed. “But the Hokage's affairs...the village...”

“We'll make time. 'Sides, two excellent shinobi like us? It'll be a cakewalk.”

Her smile grew and he grinned at her. Their eyes showed their affection for each other. There was no need for words – they were shinobi after all. Then a discreet alert sounded.

* * *

  
  


It was very odd, Sarutobi Asuma thought, and so typical of shinobi life, that the moment he decided to actually live was immediately preceded a moment where he was dying. The Sharingan red eyes of the person before him glowed, cold and set in their conviction that Asuma was going to die. He flexed his already bloody hand. He was not going to lose to a traitor and kinslayer. The wind blades flew again, along with a water shark bullet barrage from Kakashi, who had simply copied the attack from Itachi's partner. The annoying genius bastard.

Itachi dodged the attacks, looking for all the world like he was simply walking down the street. “It appears you are not an obstacle for the Sharingan.”

Asuma snorted. Every shinobi since the Uchiha massacre were at least trained in fighting against a Sharingan. If it were an ordinary Uchiha in front of them, they would have won by now.

“I'll take it from here,” Kakashi stated. “Go help your girlfriend.”

Asuma waved, shunshinned closer to the second intruder and threw himself into another fight. There was no time to think about pain. Kurenai's glance flickered to him and she frowned. She blew a fireball at the enemy, allowing Asuma a second's rest before that massive sword slashed in his direction. He caught the heavy blade on his knives.

The fight was furious, reckless, and brief. Asuma could feel the cold grasp at him as he lay on bloody ground. What he wouldn't give for a cigarette right about now, he thought idly. His eyes were dimming as Kurenai went down. He couldn't even scream, couldn't move as his friend and lover crumpled. Darkness took him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was a story premise written some years ago. Abandoned and free for adoption, if anyone wants it.


End file.
